The Colony that Died

by Lady Jane Fairbourn

In the tenth century, Norway was overcrowded, there were too many people for the land to support. Gradually they sailed to England, Scotland, Ireland and Iceland, at first simply raiding and moving on, but later establishing settlements, colonising the lands and setting up firm trade routes.
From Ireland they had captured Celtic slaves, who acted as scouts, exploring the new lands.
Eric the Red sailed on from Iceland and established settlements in Greenland. Iceland had been given an honest name, so nobody wanted to go and live there. Greenland was deliberately given its name in order to encourage colonists. There is some green pasture in the South West in summer, then ice over most of the island most of the time. Eric wanted it called Greenland, so he applied to King Olaf, who gave special permission.
The Norwegians came to Greenland in 982 and established the Eastern Settlement, where some townships survive to this day.
However, there was another on the north west coast called the Western Settlement, which has completely disappeared. The Celts and Norwegians have been absored into the Eskimo population.
When the colony was first established, there was a ship from Norway every year, carrying axes and weapons, which were exchanged for furs. With the coming of the Hanseatic League, the trade route was found not to be profitable enough. The ships became less frequent. For eighty years there was no ship and the Norsemen died out. They went native.
While the ships came, they had corn, timber to build houses, and iron weapons. They were kept in touch with the culture of their homeland. When no ships came, the Eskimos became superior, because they could hunt and live off the land.
By the fourteenth century, the Western settlement had died out, but the genes of the Vikings still survive in the Eskimos of Western Greenland.

Bibliography:

The Icelandic Sagas
Nevil Shute: An Old Captivity: Heinemann 1940.